On Saturday (Aug 3) the second half of the RSPBANI Branch season got underway at Portrush when thirty-three bands and thirty-nine drum majors took part at this popular North Antrim venue which was looking its best after the spruce up it got for the recent 148th Open Golf Championships. The venue for this contest was once again the car park adjacent to Ramore Head which as with last year seems…

Many congratulations and best wishes to James Warnock the pioneer chanter and reed maker who last week celebrated his 100th birthday. Better known to all as Jim, he was born into a farming family on the outskirts of Cookstown, County Tyrone, on 18th July 1919. Like his brothers he followed his father into farming as well as sharing his interest in piping by joining Tullylagan Pipe Band. In the 1930s, under Pipe Major…

Pipe Major Richard Parkes MBE was in the spotlight earlier this month when on Monday 1st July he was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Literature for services to music from Queens University, Belfast (QUB), and then three days later on Thursday 4th July he received a second and similar Honorary Doctorate from the University of Ulster. The respect that he is held in, particularly by the members of…

Ballymena was the setting for the 74th All Ireland Pipe Band Championships which were held at the beautifully manicured and spacious grounds of the local Academy School. The fact that every car parking space was taken by lunchtime indicates what a massive attendance there was and the weather was everything you would want and at times maybe too hot for some. If the weather was hot so too was the competition…

After last week’s extremely inclement weather at Lurgan, bands and supporters basked in the sun at Antrim Castle Gardens last Saturday. The local pipe band fraternity cleaned the mud off their socks and shoes and dried out their capes for the trip to the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Pipe Band Championships. What a difference a week makes – this time around it was warm and sunny throughout with the various…